Related Articles

Puerto Rico's major diving destinations are on the eastern and western ends of the island, while San Juan sits on its north coast. While the city might not host the very best dive sites in Puerto Rico, scuba diving in San Juan is often easy and convenient, and the city's local dive sites offer plenty of tropical sea life, as well as the clear, warm waters of the Caribbean. Divers visiting San Juan have no need to travel a little farther; they can find plenty of corals right off the city's beaches.

Sea Conditions

One of the reasons why San Juan isn't as well known for its diving as some other parts of the island is that it lies on the north coast. This area is exposed to the northerly swells, making the sea choppy and lowering underwater visibility. On a good day, visibility might reach as high as 80 feet, but on a bad day it can be as little as 10 feet. The water is as warm as anywhere in the Caribbean, with surface temperatures in the mid-80s Fahrenheit in summer, and in the mid-70s in winter.

Dive Sites

Although the sea sometimes is choppy and murky, the underwater topography helps offset that. The reefs off San Juan are based on volcanic rock, and are riddled with caves, overhangs and swim-through tunnels, offering divers plenty of exploration opportunities. The area has a mix of shore diving sites, especially off the beaches in the Condado district, and boat dive sites. Night dives are available for both shore and boat diving sites.

Sea Life

All that sculpted lava rock offers Puerto Rico's sea life plenty of places in which to thrive. In addition to hosting soft and hard corals, the reefs are home to a variety of tropical fish species. Divers might find swirling schools of snapper and grunts, as well as colorful sergeant majors and batfish. Eagle-eyed explorers can keep an eye out for crabs, shrimps, seahorses and octopi hiding among the rocks and corals.

Dive Operators

Despite not being one of Puerto Rico's prime diving locations, San Juan still has a handful of dive operators, including Aqua Adventures (aquaadventurepr.com), Ocean Sports (osdivers.com) and Scuba Dogs (scubadogs.net). All of these offer shore and boat dive trips, both in and out of San Juan, as well as the full slate of PADI recreational diving courses. Aqua Adventures also offers snuba tours, allowing friends or family who might be in San Juan with you to have a taste of underwater adventure.